Chap. II. from J. B. T 
alfo made at Seconge a fort bf Calicut, fo fine, that when a 
Man puts it on, his Skin fhall appear as plainly thro’ it 
as if he was quite naked ; but the Merchants are not per- 
mitted to tranfport it, for the Governor is obliged to fend 
it all to the Great Mogul’s Seraglio, and the principal Lords 
of the Court, to make the Sultanefles and Noblemens 
Wives Shifts and Garments for the hot Weather; and 
the King and the Lords take great Pleafure to behold 
them in thefe Shifts, and fee them dance with nothing 
elfe upon them. From Seconge you go to Madalki-fera , 
and palling thro’ P aulki-fera and Chaldolki-fera , you come 
to Callabas. 
6 . There is a great Town, which was the Refidence of 
a Rajah formerly, who paid Tribute to the Mogul ; but 
the laft Emperor Aurengzeb , when he came to the Crown, 
not only cut off his Head, but the Heads of many of his 
Subjeds, which he caufed to be fet up in fo many Holes 
dug in the Ground, about the two Towers which Hand 
upon the High- way near the Town. From hence the 
Way lies to Ackmate , and from thence to Collefar , whole 
Inhabitants are all Idolaters. Without the Town, 
upon the Highway, grows a vail Number of great Trees, 
which they call Mangues, and in many Places near the 
Trees, are many Pagods, with every one an Idol at the 
Door : They belong to the Banjans. From this Town 
you travel through Sanfell and Dongry to Gate. This is a 
ftrait Paffage of a Quarter of a League long between the 
Mountains, and is unavoidable by all that come from the 
South, as Surat , Goa , Vifapour , Golconda , Maflepatan , 
and other Places, to Agra ; for there is no other Road but 
this. At the Entry of it are the Ruins of two or three 
old Caftles, and the Paflage is fo narrow that two Wag- 
gons can hardly go a-breaft : Formerly there was a Gate 
at each End of the Strait, and, at the End, next Agra , 
there are five or fix Shops of Banjans that fell Flour, But- 
ter, Rice, Herbs, and Pulfe. Not far from thence is a 
Magazine of Rice and Corn, kept by Serpents of thirteen 
or fourteen Foot long, and of a proportionable Big- 
nefs. 
The People hereabouts get their Living by Paflengers, 
from whom they extort as much as they can, for fhewing 
them the Way, there being none but them that know it, 
becaufe it lies through intricate Rocks, till they come at 
the River, which, being forded, the Road leads to Na- 
dar, which is a great City upon the Defcent of a Moun- 
tain, upon whofe Top there is a Fortrefs, and all the 
Mountain is encompafled with Walls. The greateft Part 
of the Houles, as in all other Cities of India , are thatched 
with Straw, one Story high •, but the rich Mens Houfes 
are two Stories high, and tarrafled. Round about the 
City are feveral Ponds to be feen, which were formerly 
encompafled with hewn Stone, but now are decay’d for 
want of looking after ; but there are ftill very fair Monu- 
ments about them. The River which you pafs before 
you come at this City, encompafles the Mountain like a 
Peninfula, and, after a long winding Courfe, falls into the 
Ganges. At Nadar are made a great Number of quilted 
Coverlets, fome white, others embroidered with Flowers 
of Gold, Silk, and Sattin. From Nadar you goto Bar- 
qui-fera , and fo by Erie to Goualeor. This is a great 
City, but ill built, as all the other Indian Cities are. It 
is built on the Side of a Mountain that lies on the Weft- 
fide of it, and at the Top is encompafled with Walls and 
and a Tower. In the Inclofure are feveral Ponds, made 
by the Rains, with which they water their Grounds, fown 
with Rice, and fo raife Corn enough to maintain their Gar- 
jrifon ; and, upon that Account, it is efteemed the beft in 
the Indies. Upon the Defcent of this Hill, which looks 
towards the North-Eaft, Cha-Iehan built an Houfe of Plea- 
fure, from which there is a delightful Profpedf all over the 
City : It is fo contrived that it may ferve for a Garrifon. 
Beneath the Houfe are to be feen feveral Idols, cut out 
of the Rocks, reprefenting the Shapes of their Gods ; 
and one of them is of an extraordinary Height. 
The Mohammedan Princes make this Fortrefs of Goualeor 
a Prifon for their great Princes and Noblemen that offend 
them. Cha-Iehan , who came to the Crown by foul- play, 
imprifoned all the Princes and Lords he fufpe&ed to be 
Male-contents, in this Caftle, but fuffered them all to en~ 
Numb., LYI. 
AVERNIER. 8zp 
joy their Effates. But Aureng-Zeb his Son, takes contrary 
Meafures ; for, when he imprifons any great Lords, he 
orders them to be poifoned within ten or twelve Days af- 
ter ; that he may be rid of his Enemies, and yet not be 
thought a cruel Prince for his bloody Executions, Leav- 
ing Goualeor , you ford a River called Lanke , and come to 
Paterki-fera 7 where, pafiing over a Bridge, containing fix 
wide Arches, and which carries you over the River Qua- 
* rinado , you arrive at Q darraqiii-fera , and fo to Dolpoura s 
where there is a River, called Chamel-nadi , to which there 
belongs a Ferry-boat. The River falls into the Gemena , 
between Agra and Hallebas. From hence you pafs to Mi- 
nafqui-fera , where there is a River, called Jagounagi , but 
you do not pafs it till you come eight Leagues farther, 
and then there is a long Bridge built with Stone, called 
Quaoulcapoul. Not far from this Bridge, they view the 
Merchants Goods, that when they come to Agra they 
may not be cheated of their Duties ; and more particu- 
larly obferve whether there be any Flafks of Wine among 
the Cafks of pickled Ftuits. From this Bridge you come 
to Agra ^ which, from Surat, is 339 Leagues, viz. from 
Surat to Brampour 132 Leagues, from thence to Seconge 
101 Leagues, and from thence to Agra 106 Leagues. In 
thefe two laft Stages the Country is full of fine Fields of 
Corn and Rice, being a lovely Champain, where you meet 
with very little Wood, and the Villages fo thick that you 
may reft when you pleafe. 
7. The other Road from Surat to Agra, through Amana* 
dabad , lies, firft, through a Country full of Corn, Rice, 
Millet, and Sugar-Canes *, where, having ferried over the 
River which runs to Cambaya and falls into the Gulph, 
you come to Baroche , which is a great City, and has a 
Fortrefs belonging to it, but there is no Ufe made of it at 
prefent. This City is very famous for Trade, on Ac- 
count of the River, which has a peculiar Quality to 
whiten their Cottons, and which are therefore brought 
from all Parts of the Mogul’s Territories thither for that 
End ; befides, here are made great Quantities of Baffa’s, 
or long and large Pieces of Cotton, very fine and clofe 
woven ; the Price of them is from four to an hundred Ru- 
pees. You muft pay Cuftom at Baroche for all Goods 
carried in and out. The Englijh Prefident has a vpry fair 
Houfe in this City. 
In this City are a fort of Mountebanks, who do ftrange 
Tricks, viz. They will heat a Chain red-hot, and wind 
it about their naked Bodies feveral Times, and though 
they make as if they felt a great deal of Piiin, yet, in 
truth, they receive no Harm at all : But, what is more 
miraculous, they will thruft a dry Stick into the Ground, 
and, in Jefs than half an Hour’s Time, make it a Tree 
of four or five Foot high, bearing Leaves and Flowers as 
in the Spring-Time. An Englijh Minifter feeing this 
Witchcraft, declared it unlawful to be a Spectator ol fuch 
Delufions, and protefted he would not give the Commu- 
nion to any that fhould hereafter do it. Thefe Mounte- 
banks wander up and down the Country to fhew thefe 
Tricks, with their Wives and Children, and get a Liveli- 
hood by it. 
Thofe who are curious to fee Cambaya , leave the dire<ft 
Road, which goes to Broudra , and pafs through that City, 
which is not above four or five Leagues out of the Way, and 
is the fafer Road. Cambaya is a great City at the Bottom 
of the Gulph, on the South of it ; it lies in the Pro- 
vince of Guzerat , and though it be not fo popular as 
Surat , it is as big again. It has very fair Walls about 
it four Fathoms high, and Towers Handing at a certain 
Diftance. The Streets of it are large, and have all Gates 
at each End, which are fhut every Night. The Houfes 
are very high, and built of Bricks, dried in the Sun, and 
were once furnifhed very richly after the Portuguefe Man- 
ner, but now many of them fall to Decay. Here it is that 
they fhape thofe fair Agates, that come from India , into 
Cups, Hafts of Knives, Beads, and other Workmanfhip. 
Thefe Agates are fetched out of a Quarry, by a Village 
called Minodra , four Leagues from Cambaya , in Pieces as 
big as a Man’s Fift. The Shops here are ftored w'i'th aro- 
matick Perfumes, Spices, Silken, and other Stuffs. * Moft 
Part of the Inhabitants are Banjans and Raf spouts. The 
Caftk 9 where the Governor refides, is large, but not 
so B very 
